[seeker1950]

So, today, I went to get a "bridge" to replace the "flippy," which was a rooftop mouthpiece, very uncomfortable, which cost me $500 without any insurance. Dentist said if I turned this in on dental insurance, they wouldn't pay for the bridge. So today was $800 for the temporary bridge. When I paid for this, on credit card (cause I don't have it otherwise), I asked about the final payment, and the person said, "You'll probably have to pay another $800." ...in 4 weeks when the permanent one is installed. OMG...I'm trying to conserve and be careful with finances. I can see why people avoid dentistry.

wow.

that is a lot of money!

I hear you... I had a molar split and extraction was the only option, then have an implant done. $6,000 when it is all said and done.

oh my gosh...I would be so bummed. WTH?

Can you go to a University dental school? My dentist worked at a practice and decided to specialize in something so went back to SC... he mentioned the University is much less. Still great care

[Travelinglady]

Are these teeth having any gold in them? The most expensive one I have is one with a cap made out of gold. I have dental insurance, and I remember it was expensive, but not THAT much! Wow! I assume this prices are without insurance......

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

Are these teeth having any gold in them? The most expensive one I have is one with a cap made out of gold. I have dental insurance, and I remember it was expensive, but not THAT much! Wow! I assume this prices are without insurance......

(No gold)
I have "Dental Insurance" but it is about useless. $1500 Lifetime. The $6000 was out of pocket. I failed to mention that they had to do a sinus lift and bone graft because my sinus wall was drooped way too low and there was not enough bone for the implant.

A bridge was an option at $4500, but they last 15 years and I would have had to kill and crown 2 teeth for the bridge... Not much of an option...

[lizardlady]

I haven't posted about my dental woes in awhile. Seeker I can empathize. I saw the oral surgeon last week about the mess in my mouth. They are going to pull three more teeth, put in two implants and cut down my gums on two more teeth so my primary dentis can put crowns on them. The oral surgeon's part will be over $6000! Then I go to my primary dentist for crowns etc. When this is all over it will have cost me over 10 grand!

Seeker, I understand why people don't go to the dentist, but not going is what's costing me so much now.

Rose, I don't know about Seeker, but there isn't a dental school anywhere near me.

[seeker1950]

Oh, all of y'all make me feel like I'm not alone! This tooth. a front tooth, that had to be extracted, had been a problem since my youth, and had a root canal, then a crown from early days, like my 20's. I am actually lucky to have most of my teeth, since my early dental care was so poor. Growing up poor, the only reason we ever went to a dentist... a "horse dentist," I call him, in the coal fields, was for extractions. My bite is all messed up from missing back teeth, but manageable. I even went to the extent of having braces in my 40's to correct some of the problems, but that really hasn't helped. The dentist I'm going to now is really a great one. He even teaches at the local career center, and all his staff are wonderful. I'm prepared to weather this current expense, though it will take me several months to recover financially. After that, looking toward retirement, I can only hope I'll not encounter further expensive problems like this one!
Thanks to you all for sharing!
Patty

[eskielover]

Ugh......that's exactly why I haven't done anything about having all my teeth extracted & getting dentures.....didn't want to get into any more debt that I am in & don't have the money to make monthly payments to pay that kind of expense & REFUSE TO PAY INTEREST!!!!!!

However, while I was volunteering at the horse park middle of October, I ran into a lady who uses the UK dental school & had her teeth pulled & got dentures.....she said they were the best & anything over $200, they have a financial center that works within your monthly ability to pay & if you have an impossible month, they work with you on rescheduling your payments.......couldn't ask for a better situation for me. The lady had an appointment that next week, took my name & phone number & gave it to them.....I hadn't gotten around to calling them.....they called me & I have an appointment NEXT WEEK.

Most of my teeth have broken off....bad enamel from when the teeth were forming...high temperature from being sick & the antibiotics they claim to be the reason why the enamel didn't form.....think there was also some bad genes from my father but not sure why bad genes would have any cause for bad enamel......so I honestly believe that it was the being sick with the high temps (bronchitis, pneumonia.....throughout those years the teeth were forming under my baby teeth) & the antibiotics have already been proven to cause enamel problems (now they know....just my luck).

Just going for the initial consultation next week.....$64.....then they determine how to go from there. I also need oral surgery for the soft tissue that formed behind each side behind my bottom teeth from grinding my teeth my whole life.

Seems like my subconscious knew how bad my teeth were & was constantly trying to get them out of my mouth with the grinding ......I didn't think I was that stressed or anxious as a child.....but something caused me to grind my teeth.

Hope all turns out well with everyone's dental experiences. Going to the dentist has always been traumatic for me because I have always had bad teeth & there has always been something more wrong than just the simple dental care that others were lucky enough to have.

[seeker1950]

Hey,Eskie...I'm already abed to get some rest for work tomorrow. Thx for your feedback.

It's that diamond that set you back

Originally Posted by YYZadd

(No gold)
I have "Dental Insurance" but it is about useless. $1500 Lifetime. The $6000 was out of pocket. I failed to mention that they had to do a sinus lift and bone graft because my sinus wall was drooped way too low and there was not enough bone for the implant.

A bridge was an option at $4500, but they last 15 years and I would have had to kill and crown 2 teeth for the bridge... Not much of an option...

I just find it so hard to believe that one tooth can cost this much money. But if you leave the space, then you worry about all the collateral down the road. Ugggggh...

[Travelinglady]

I couldn't see my regular dentist one time because he doesn't work on Fridays. (He heads down to his beach house. I'm serious!)

At any rate, one of my choppers was killing me and I sure didn't want to have to be in agony over the weekend. So, I went to a "dental clinic." It is for people who don't have a lot of money. The dentist was getting ready to yank my tooth out, but I hollered, "No! I'm just trying to ride it out until Monday!" So, he gave me some pain meds.

On Monday my regular dentist just ground a couple of my teeth down a bit, since they were hitting together the wrong way. Whew! I did lose a tooth, though, recently, because it split right down the middle and couldn't be repaired.

For other people's sake, I hope the new government health plan has insurance for teeth.

[seeker1950]

I really worry about this kind of expense since I've (kind of) decided to retire from my teaching job after this school year. I haven't "declared" that I intend to retire. I've visited Soc. Sec. and the WV teachers' retirement board, and know how limited my income will be. It scares me to think I'd incur this kind of expense in the future. This dental experience is being charged to my credit card, which I'll have to sacrifice to pay for. This was money I had hoped to pay toward paying off my car. There seems no way to get ahead!

[eskielover]

There is a credit care sort of thing called "care credit" which depending on the amount of the expense gives you from 6 - 12 months to pay off without interest. My vet wouldn't let me pay....wanted his $ immediately, but offered the care credit as his option....I have always been able to pay it off within the 6 months......but definitely $2000 wouldn't even be within that budget.....but found it does help to be able to spread some of the higher/lower expenses over that amount of time.

Originally Posted by eskielover

There is a credit care sort of thing called "care credit" which depending on the amount of the expense gives you from 6 - 12 months to pay off without interest. My vet wouldn't let me pay....wanted his $ immediately, but offered the care credit as his option....I have always been able to pay it off within the 6 months......but definitely $2000 wouldn't even be within that budget.....but found it does help to be able to spread some of the higher/lower expenses over that amount of time.

Care Credit is what I used for my High Tech Tooth

18 months Zero Interest helped soften the blow...